The present invention relates to liquid crystalline compounds and more particularly to novel crystalline compounds, which exhibit liquid crystallinity and, in addition, charge transport capability, and a process for producing the same.
Liquid crystalline compounds having various structures are known in the art and are widely used mainly as materials for information display devices using an electro-optic effect based on the alignment effect of liquid crystal molecules attained by application of voltage. Further, application of liquid crystalline compounds to optical shutters, optical stops, modulating devices, lenses, light beam deflection/optical switches, phase diffraction gratings, optical logic devices, memory devices and the like are under study. External stimulation by heat, electric field, magnetic field, pressure or the like results in transition of the alignment of liquid crystal molecules which enables optical properties and electric capacity to be easily changed. Sensors and measuring instruments, utilizing this property, for temperature, electric field/voltage, infrared radiation, ultrasonic wave, flow rate/acceleration, gas or pressure have been studied in the art.